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Home , Blaengarw, Caerphilly Castle, Cardiff Castle, Castell Coch, Old Beaupre Castle, Tinkinswood

Capital city itinerary: the must-see historic sites outside

If you’re spending a couple of days in the capital city, there are many must-see historic sites in the surrounding area.

Just over 20 minutes drive from the centre of Cardiff you will come across , which has a tower that leans more than Pisa’s, or you can explore the dazzling ceilings and furnishings of the fairytale . Delve deeper into the Valleys and you can explore the World Heritage site of Blaenavon Ironworks, or experience life as a Roman at Caerleon Roman Baths. You’re sure to have a monumental day out...

Castell Coch On the other side of Caerphilly mountain, less than 15 minutes away, you’ll spot Castell Coch hidden in the trees. Castell Coch, a Welsh name meaning ‘Red Castle’ rests on the medieval foundations of an earlier castle built by de Clare. However the current structure is relatively modern, and is the by-product of a vivid Victorian imagination. was given free rein by the 3rd to create a rural retreat to complement the opulence of his main residence, . Multi-sensory resources allow easy exploration of this Victorian Gothic style castle, which was a romantic vision of the , using touch screen technology.

Caerphilly Castle Bleanavon Ironworks is the biggest castle in . Although not quite complete, the iconic fortress is mighty impressive, surrounded by Just under an hour’s drive from Cardiff up into the Valleys stand the a series of moats and watery islands. The castle is the brainchild famous World Heritage Site Bleanavon Ironworks. The ironworks of Gilbert ‘the Red’ de Clare, a redheaded nobleman of Norman were a milestone in the history of the Industrial Revolution and at descent, who’s early attempts at building the castle were thwarted the time were at the cutting-edge of new technology. The power of by Llywelyn ap Gruffydd. Gilbert eventually succeeded to build a steam was harnessed and a way of making steel using iron-ore was mammoth stronghold using the concentric ‘walls within walls’ system developed, which led to a worldwide boom in the steel industry, of defence. Climb to the rooftop of the massive east , and taking Wales’s industrial might to a new height. Visitors to the site can from here you can see the rings of stone and water defences that see the refurbished Stack Square cottages and recreated company made Caerphilly such a stronghold. Explore the dark passage known truck shop, and the new cutting-edge audio post technology helps as the Braose Gallery and look out for the south-east tower — bring the story of the Ironworks to life like never before. The which out leans Pisa’s famous tower — and the mighty siege engines surrounding landscape is also revolutionary in its form and function. and special firing events. The castle is a favourite backdrop for TV and From mines to train lines, you can still trace the routes in and routes films including Dr Who. out, from raw material to finished product.

1 A59 A565 3 26 M58 A570

7 M6 A58 6 A580 23 5 LIVERPOOL Amlwch M57 Birkenhead A5025 2 Capel 1 M62 1 y Twrˆ r Hillfort Lligwy 5 7 2 6 A57 Lligwy 2 Holyhead Mountain Hut Group Tregwehelydd Standing Stone Burial Chamber Great Ormes A551 3 1 Din Lligwy Head 3 Caer Gybi Roman Fortlet Prestatyn Penmon Priory 2 3 Hut Group Maen Achwyfan M Holyhead Benllech and St Seiriol’s Well Llandudno A558 Rhyl Cross 4 e A56 4 Penrhos Feilw Standing Stones Presaddfed r Puffin Island Colwyn s e 5 Burial Chamber Beaumaris y 11 4 Bay Basingwerk M53 5 Tyˆ Mawr Standing Stone B5109 Penmon Cross Abergele A5151 A548 12 Castle Abbey 5 6 B5109 and Dovecote 6 Trefignath Burial Chamber Holy Island A5 Llangefni A55 Rhuddlan Castle A540 M56 Plas Flint 9 A55 and Twthill Ty Newyddˆ Burial Chamber A545 Mawr and Town Walls Castle 14 A56 Burial Chamber Bangor St Winifred’s Chapel Llanfairfechan St Asaph A55 and Holy Well 11 7 A541 A550 Burial Chamber 10 Denbigh Friary, A55 A54 Lord Leicester’s Church Clwyd 7 Din Dryfol A4080 8 A470 and St Hilary’s Chapel Ewloe Castle 12 Burial Chamber Bethesda B5106 A544 A525 A51 9 Segontium Chester A49 8 A548 A549 Chester Burial Chamber Roman Fort Denbigh Castle Mold Roman Amphitheatre A5118 Chester Gwydir Uchaf and Town Walls A55 9 Castell Bryn Gwyn Llanrwst Castle Llanberis A5 Chapel A51

Caernarfon Castle A494 10 Caer Lêb Dolbadarn Capel Curig A543 A541 A41 and Town Walls Alyn A4086Castle Ruthin

Dee Beeston Betws-y-Coed Castle C a e r n a r f o n A534 A4085 Derwen Burial Chamber Conwy Churchyard Cross Dolwyddelan A525 B a y Wrexham A498 Castle A49 A499 A5014 A483 Beddgelert Blaenau Alwen Rug Capital city itinerary: Ffestiniog Chapel Valle Crucis St Cybi’s Eliseg’s Corwen Pillar Abbey Well A525 the must-see historic sites outside Cardiff A5 Nefyn A4212 A525 Dee Whitchurch Llangar Llangollen Fawr A497 Old Parish Church Chirk Dee B4417Medieval House Porthmadog A41 Criccieth Llyn Bala Castle Trawsfynydd A495 Pwllheli A494 A528 Harlech Bala Lake Old Oswestry A470 Castle Hill Fort A499 Oswestry Abersoch Burial Chamber Moreton Corbet Aberdaron A5 Castle Tanat A496 Lake Vyrnwy Bardsey Cymer Abbey A49 A53 Island Haughmond Abbey Dolgellau A470 Severn Barmouth Pont A495 Minllyn Vyrnwy A458 Shrewsbury Castell y Bere A458 A5 Banwy A483 Welshpool Wroxeter From Cardiff head east on the M4 towards Newport,Cantlop Roman and City within A493 Llanfair Caereinion Bridge B4405 Dyfi A458 a 30 minute drive you will reach CaerleonA488 ActonRoman Burnell Fortress and A490 Castle Tywyn A489 A470 Baths. Caerleon is one of the most varied and fascinating Roman Machynlleth Montgomery Castle Mitchell’s Fold Langley Motorway M4 Prehistoric Site sites in Britain, incorporating a fortressStone Circle and baths, well-preservedChapel Dolforwyn Castle A49 Aberdyfi Dyfi Furnace B4386 A470 A489 Primary Route Roman Site B4518 amphitheatre and a row of barrack blocks, theChurch only examples Newtown Stretton Bryntail B4385 A488 A487 Main Road Castle, Historic House, Palace Lead Mine currently visible in Europe. With heated changing rooms, a selection Borth C a r d i g a n Bishop’s Secondary Road B4518 Religious Site of cold or warm baths, coveredCastle exercise rooms and even an open-air Severn Clun Llanidloesswimming pool, the remains clearlyA488 visible at Caerleon suggest that Other Road Historic Industrial Site B a y Castle

Aberystwyth A44 A483 Craven Arms Ponterwyd Wye Roman life could be comfortable and luxurious. After a relaxing bath, Passenger Railway Other Historic Site Rheidol Llangurig Stokesay B4340 the Romans most likely headed towards Castlethe nearby amphitheatre National Cycle Network Route English Heritage Site A4120 A4117 for a bitIthon of blood and gore, to see a gladiator and beast fight tooth Tourist Information Centre sites charging for admission are Teme Ludlow Ystwyth (open all year) shown in green; all other sites are free Knighton A4113 B4343 and claw for their lives!

A485 Wigmore 0 5 10 Kilometres Rhayader A488 A456 Tourist Infomation Centre B4356 Castle Pontrhydfendigaid (seasonal opening) 0 3 6 Miles A44 A487 A470 Presteigne A49 A4112 Aberaeron Strata Florida Mortimer’s Cross B4362 Water Mill New Quay Abbey These are just four of the 128 historic sites in our care, visit; Tregaron cadw.wales.gov.ukLlandrindod Wells to discover the stories and peopleLeominster behind them. A44 Aeron A44

A4110 Wye‘Like’ Cadw on Facebook and follow @Cadwwales on Twitter or A482 A481 A485 B4343 A4111 download our smartphone app to stayA4112 up to date. A417 Aberporth B4337 Caerleon Roman Fortress and Baths B4567 Teifi Builth A480 A487 A486 B4459 Wells B4546 A438 Cardigan B4570 Lampeter Irfon St Dogmaels A465 A483 Llanwrtyd Wells Abbey A484 A475 A49 Carreg B4350 Arthur’s A4103 Burial Chamber Stone Hay-on-Wye Wye Strumble Cilgerran Hereford A438 Tywi Rotherwas Head Castle Newcastle A482 Fishguard Chapel Newport Emlyn

A485 Llandovery Gaer Burial Chamber Bronllys A484 Roman Fort Longtown Cothi A40 A470 Castle A487 Llynfi B4313 Llanwrda Honddu Castle Wye

W A479 St Davids A478 Talley Sennybridge Usk e s t u A465 e a Abbey A49 Bishop’s Palace r dd n le Llanthony Grosmont C C Llangadog l n ed r A40 Brecon Priory Castle d te Dinefwr A4069 au B4329 s a A4215 A40 Skenfrith A487 E Dryslwyn Castle Monnow Tretower Court Castle Castle Llandeilo B4347 and Castle A40 Ramsey St Non’s Llawhaden Tywi Island Chapel Castle Carmarthen White Goodrich

A466 Castle Wiston Castle A4067 Castle B4521 A48 Crickhowell Hen Gwrt S t B r i d e s St Clears A40 Carreg Cennen Haverfordwest A40 Moated Site A40 B4312 Castle B4233 B a y Broad Llansteffan Brynamman Trothy Narberth A4068 Brynmawr Haven B4341 Abergavenny A4115 A470 Monmouth Skomer Priory A4221 A4059 A465Blaenavon A4136 Laugharne A483 Ammanford Castle Island A4076 A478 IronworksB4248 Raglan Castle Wye A477 Castle Ystalyfera A476 Ebbw A40 A4075 3 A4066 Milford A477 Carew Rhymney Vale St Briavel’s 49 A474 Glyn-neath A467 Haven Pendine Loughor Cross A4048 Raglan Castle Merthyr Usk A4046 A484 Tawe Kidwelly A466 Saundersfoot Cynon Tydfil A469 Castle Burry Pontardawe A4109 A465

Skokholm A4043 48 Neath Aberdare Tintern Port A4061 Island A4059 A472 Usk Offa’s M4 A4042 Abbey Pembroke Tenby C a r m a r t h e n A4054 A449 Dyke Carswell 47 45 Pontypool Lamphey Llanelli 46 Medieval House Bishop’s Palace B a y Loughor 44 Neath Abbey A4233 and Port Wall Castle 43 Afan Treorchy A472 Chepstow Caldey Island Neath Ebbw Cwmbran Llanmelin Wood Runston B4295 42 Bulwarks A4107 Blaengarw Rhymney Caerleon Hillfort Chapel Weobley A483 A469 Caerleon Camp B4271 Roman Fortress Castle A4064 A4058 Caerphilly A48 SWANSEA Taff Roman 2 Swansea Port 41 Castle M48 Parc le Breos Burial Chamber Fortress 264 Castle Talbot 40 A4061 A470 24 A4118 Margam Stones Pontypridd 1 A468 andA467 Baths Caerwent 1 Worms Head Museum A4093 23 Roman Town A4063 The Mumbles Castell 28 NEWPORT M4 21 Oxwich 38 Newport 22 Port-Eynon Castle Coch 29 M4 Newcastle M4 30 Castle S w a n s e a 36 Castle 2 A48 () 29a M49 Llantrisant 32 17 B a y 37 35 Avonmouth 34 33 A4106 A48 St Quentin’s Castle 18a y Portishead r () a CARDIFF u 19 Ogmore t s

Castle Priory Burial Chamber E

Cowbridge M5 Penarth n Clevedon BRISTOL 20 A4055 r e

v Burial Chamber e A370 S B4265 Barry Yatton Stanton Drew A38

Circles & Cove 21 Weston-super-Mare

The journey time from Cardiff to Castell Coch is approx.15 minutes, 20 minutes to Caerphilly, 30 minutes to Caerleaon and 45 minutes to Bleanavon. 2